Support for telephone-receivers



A. G. MASS AND L. NUSBAUM. I SUPPORT FOR TELEPHONE RECEIVERS.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAY 24. m9.

1,332g1 33. Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

AUGUST G. MASS AND LOUIS NUSBAUM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SUPPORT FOR TELEPHONE-RECEIVERS.

Application. fi1ed May 24, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUeUsT Gr. Mass and Lonrs NUsnAUM, citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have ointly invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Supports for Telephone-Receivers, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of our invention to provide novel means whereby to support the receiver of a telephone during the period of use of the telephone; further, to provide novel holding means for the receiver of a-telephone for holding the receiver in proper position with relation to the transmitter, so that a person using the telephone may speak and hear without holding any portion of the telephone instrument; further, to provide novel means whereby on removal of the receiver from our improved holding means, the holding means will automatically return to inactive relation; further, to provide novel holding means for the receiver of the telephone which, during inactive relation, are located in upright position lengthwise of the post of the telephone, and in operative relation are arranged to hold the receiver close to the ear of a person speaking into the transmitter of the telephone, andwhereby, further, the holding means will automatically return to inactive relation on removal of the receiver therefrom; and, further, to provide novel means for adjusting the relation of the holding means to the telephone.

The invention Will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved device, shown in full lines in position of use in connection with a telephone,

and shown in inactive relation in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of our improved device, parts of the telephone being broken away for better illustration of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clasp for the receiver, the receiver being shownpartly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and showing the means for clamping the holder to the telephone.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Serial No. 299,445.

taken on a line corresponding to the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the ad j usting clip.

The telephone 11 is exemplified as a socalled desk telephone. It comprises a base 12, a post 13, a receiver 14, and a transmitter 15. The receiver is arranged to be supported on the usual pivoted hook 16 when in inactive relation, the hook being depressed by the weight of the receiver when the latter is received thereby, and arranged to rise when the receiver is removed therefrom, in usual manner and for usual purposes. The transmitter is pivoted in usual manner at 19 to the neck 20 of the post, to present its mouth-piece 21 at various elevations and inclinations to suit the convenience of the user of the telephone.

In ordinary practice, heretofore, When a person desired to use the telephone, the user lifted the receiver off the hook and held the receiver in his hand at his ear during the entire course of the conversation, returning the receiver to the hook for de pressing the latter when the conversation was finished. By employment of our invention, the user has both hands free during the conversation, enabling the user to handle papers, documents or other articles with both hands while using the telephone.

The invention comprises a clasp 25 for the receiver. The receiver is arranged to be placed in said clasp when it is taken off the hook. The clasp is located on a rod 26, which is pivoted at 27 with relation to the telephone, to position the receiver in roper relation to the transmitter, so that t e receiver is in proper position at the ear of a person speaking into the transmitter.

A clamp 29 is arranged to be clamped about the neck of the telephone. It is exemplified as comprising sheet-metal bands 30, 31, fixed together by rivets 32. Loopportions 33 are arranged to be received about the neck, a bolt 34 being received through holes in the outer ears 35 of said hands, a nut 36 received over the bolt clam ing the loop-portions about the neck of t e telephone, adjustably in desired relation.

The bands comprise substantially rightangularly bent ears 41, 42, having holes therethrough, through which the pivot-bolt 27 is received. A bearing-piece 43 is provided with an ear 44 having a hole through which the pivot-bolt is received. A nut 45 is received over the bolt. A washer 46 is received under the nut. The pivot-bolt is preferably provided with an annular shoulder 47 against which the washer is forced by the nut, the car 1 1 being arranged to move pivotally on said pivot-bolt.

The bearing-piece 413 comprises a bearing 50 in which the rod 26 is arranged to be adjusted axially and rotatively. A setscrew 51 is arranged to clamp the rod in adjusted positions.

A counterweight 53 is on the rod, so as to normally swing the rod into up and down positions alongside the post. The rod is provided with a rearward bend 54 at that portion thereof adjacent to the shank 55 of the telephone hook, whereby the pivotal point of the rod may be placed in front of the vertical plane in which said shank is located and the rod swung in rear of said shank in order to place the rod adjacent to the post when in inactive relation. The lower portion of the rod and counterweight are arranged to depend between the telephone post and the receiver on the hook when the parts are in inactive relation.

The clasp for the receiver is shown as a spring-clasp, comprising fingers 58 fixed to a base 59, having threaded connection with the threaded end 60 of the rod, a jam-nut 61 clamping the threaded base in adjusted positions. The respective fingers comprise spring-portions 62, the grasping portions of the fingers comprising outwardly bowed portions 63, having cushion sheaths 6 1 thereover, formed, for instance, out of rubber. The outer ends of the fingers are bent outwardly, as shown at 65, for readily receiving the receiver. The fingers are preferably arranged in pairs, the respective pairs being connected by cross-stretches 66 of the wire, out of which the fingers are preferably formed, one of the pairs of fingers being at each side of the receiver. The fingers adjacent to the post may normally have a greater spread, so as to be clasped about the spreading end 67 of the.

receiver.

The normal upper *end of the rod is preferably provided with an outward bend 69, so that when the receiver is in the clasp and in position of use, the receiving end of the receiver may be in proper position laterally with relation to the transmitter, so as to provide room for the head of the user between the transmitter and the receiver.

The turning of the rod in its bearing 50 further results in tilting the bent outer end of the rod, so as to project the receiver at different inclinations to the ear of the user.

Various inclinations may also be effected.

base with the rod. The rod and all parts thereon may also be moved axially with relation to the pivot-bearing by moving the rod in said bearing and clamping the same in adjusted position.

Means are also provided for adjusting the inclination of the rod with relation to the post when in operative position. This is accomplished in the present instance, by means of a clip 71 having a bearing 72 received about the pivot-bolt 27, the clip hav ing a lug 73 thereon arranged to be selectively received in any one of the notches 74 in the cars 11, 42, of the bearing-piece. A pin 75 on the bearing-piece is arranged to contact the clip for limiting the downward movement of the clasp-end of the holder.

When employing our improved device, the user takes the receiver off the hook and places the same in the clasp of the supporting means. In this manipulation the receiver is moved forwardly so as to over-balance the counterweight 53, whereby the receiver descends into proper operative relation with the transmitter, so that the mouth of the user will be at the transmitter and his ear at the receiver. No part of the telephone requires further handling or support by the user, who is free to give his undivided attention to the conversation and to use his hands in making memoranda, or

handling papers, documents or articles.

When through With the conversation, the user slips the receiver out of the clasp, whereby the support automatically swings into inactive relation, the clasp rising and the counterweighted end of the rod descending, the latter being positioned between the post of the telephone and the receiver which has been replaced on the hook.

Having thusfully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a telephone instrument comprising a post, a receiver hook and. are ceiver depending from said hook when. in inactive relation, a support pivoted to said post above said receiver-hook, said support comprising a stem, a clasp for said receiver while being used anda counterweight automatically moving said su port to. inactive relation, said stem exten ing downwardly from its pivot past said receiver-hook and said counterweight located between said post and said receiver when said receiver is on said hook and said support is in inactive relation.

2. In combination with a telephone comprising a post, a transmitter, a. receiver hook, and a receiver depending from said hook when in inactive relation, of a' clamp secured to said post, a rod pivoted to. said clamp, a clasp for said receiver atone end of. said rod, 8. counterweight for. saidreceiver at the other end of said rod, and means for adjusting said clasp with relation to said transmitter to adjust the operative position of said receiver held thereby.

3. Holding means for a telephone receiver comprising means for attaching said holding means to a telephone instrument, a rod, pivot means pivoting said rod to said attaching means, a spring clasp at one end of said rod for holding the receiver of the telephone, a counterweight at the other end of said rod, and means for adjusting said spring clasp rotatively and axially with relation to said pivot means.

4. In holding means for holding a tele phone receiver in position of use with rela tion to the transmitter, the combination of a clamp to clamp the holding means to the telephone instrument, a pivot tnereon, a bearing pivoted to said clamp by said-pivot, a rod slidable axially and rotatively in said bearing, clamping means to clamp said rod in adjusted positions, a clasp for the receiver at one end of said rod, and a counterweight at the other end of said rod to normally swing said into up and down position when said clasp is free from said re ceiver, and to counterweight said receiver when said receiver is in said clasp in operative relation to said transmitter.

5. In holding means for holding a telephone receiver in position of use with relation to the transmitter, the combination of a clamp to clamp the holding means to the telephone instrument, said clamp having a wing, a bearing-piece having a Wing and a bearing, a rod normally extending up and down in said bearing, means for adjusting said rod in said bearing, a spring-clasp for said receiver on the normal upper end of said rod, a counterweight on the normal lower end of said rod, a pivot between said wings whereby to swing said rod with its upper end moving forward to place said spring-clasp and the receiver therein into operative relation, and an adjustable stop between said wings to adjust said operative relation.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST G. MASS. LOUIS NUSBAUM.

IVitnesses as to August G. Maas:

THERESA M. SILBER, H. J. BUSE.

Witnesses as to Louis Nusbaum:

GEO. R. MENDsoHN, ARTHUR YOAKAM. 

